Sutta Nipata 3.8

BuddhismSutta Nipata 3.8

Unforeseen and unknown is the extent of this mortal life— hard and short and bound to pain. There is no way that those born will not die. On reaching old age death follows: such is the nature of living creatures. As ripe fruit are always in danger of falling, so mortals once born are always in danger of death. As clay pots made by a potter all end up being broken, so is the life of mortals. …

Animittamanaññātaṁ, maccānaṁ idha jīvitaṁ; Kasirañca parittañca, tañca dukkhena saṁyutaṁ. Na hi so upakkamo atthi, yena jātā na miyyare; Jarampi patvā maraṇaṁ, evaṁdhammā hi pāṇino. Phalānamiva pakkānaṁ, pāto patanato bhayaṁ; Evaṁ jātāna maccānaṁ, niccaṁ maraṇato bhayaṁ. Yathāpi kumbhakārassa, katā mattikabhājanā; Sabbe bhedanapariyantā, evaṁ maccāna jīvitaṁ. …

☽ Brevity of life

The same idea in other traditions

JudaismPsalm 90:12

So teach us to number our days, That we may get us a heart of wisdom.

ConfucianismAnalects 9.17

The Master standing by a stream, said, "It passes on just like this, not ceasing day or night!"

ChristianityJames 4:14

Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.

SufismAlchemy of Happiness, ch. 3

THIS world is a stage or market-place passed by pilgrims on their way to the next. It is here that they are to provide themselves with provisions for the way; …

IslamQuran 3:185

Every soul shall have a taste of death: And only on the Day of Judgment shall you be paid your full recompense. Only he who is saved far from the Fire and admitted to the Garden will have attained the object (of Life): For the life of this world is but goods and chattels of deception.

JainismUttaradhyayana 10.1-2

As the fallow leaf of the tree falls to the ground, when its days are gone, even so the life of men (will come to its close); Gautama, be careful all the while! As a dew-drop dangling on the top of a blade of Kusa-grass lasts but a short time, even so the life of men; Gautama, be careful all the while!